African champions, the D’Tigress of Nigeria, have climbed three places to 8th in the world in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings, www.aclsports.com reports.
With 640.1 points, the reigning African champions remain the only African team in the global top 10, moving ahead of Brazil and Serbia after a stellar run of form in recent months.
D’Tigress first broke into the top 10 after their historic run at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they stunned powerhouses Australia and Canada to reach the quarter-finals, the first African team ever to do so. Since then, they have maintained momentum through dominant performances in AfroBasket and other international competitions, steadily climbing the ladder to this all-time peak.
The United States maintain their place at the summit of the rankings, followed closely by Australia and France. China and Belgium complete the top five.
On the African scene, Mali have jumped an impressive six spots to 18th globally, while Senegal sit 25th. Other African nations in the top 50 include Mozambique (32nd), Cameroon (35th), and Egypt (43rd).
This latest ranking is another milestone in D’Tigress’ remarkable rise on the world stage, proving that African basketball can challenge the global elite.
Following their performance at the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket, the D’Tigress have already secured a spot in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup but will also play the qualifiers with the likes of Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan.
D’Tigress’ upward trajectory signals that they are not just chasing African dominance, they are aiming to compete with and beat the very best in the world.
